*2008 First Orthodox Liturgy [http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=4495 celebrated at the North Pole]; [[Orthodox Study Bible]] (with [[Septuagint]]) published; [[Church of Ukraine|UOC-MP]] canonizes new martyrs of Vasyliivskyi, Fr. [[Serhii Shtenko]] and laymen [[Prokhor Bunchuk]] and [[Kyryl Pryima]], martyred during the communist persecution of the church in the 20th century; 14th Session of the Lutheran-Orthodox Joint Commission was held in Paphos, Cyprus; [[Metropolis of Singapore]] (Ecumenical Patriarchate) founded; [http://www.ec-patr.org/docdisplay.php?lang=en&id=995&tla=en Pan-Orthodox meeting in Constantinople] in October of the Primates of the fourteen Orthodox Churches, signing a document calling for inter-orthodox unity and collaboration and "''the continuation of preparations for the Holy and Great Council''"; Patr. [[Bartholomew I (Archontonis) of Constantinople|Bartholomew I]] authors ''[http://books.google.ca/books?id=citwDOTiWV8C&source=gbs_navlinks_s Encountering the Mystery: Understanding Orthodox Christianity Today];'' Hieromartyr Archimandrite [[Philoumenos (Hasapis) of Jacob's Well]] (+1979) is glorified by the [[Church of Jerusalem|Patriarchate of Jerusalem]]; 42 members of the Zulu, Tsvan and Sutu tribes were baptised into the Orthodox Church in South Africa, received into the church by the Metr. [[Seraphim (Iakovou) of Johannesburg|Seraphim]] of Johannesburg and Pretoria.

*2008 First Orthodox Liturgy [http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=4495 celebrated at the North Pole]; [[Orthodox Study Bible]] (with [[Septuagint]]) published; [[Church of Ukraine|UOC-MP]] canonizes new martyrs of Vasyliivskyi, Fr. [[Serhii Shtenko]] and laymen [[Prokhor Bunchuk]] and [[Kyryl Pryima]], martyred during the communist persecution of the church in the 20th century; 14th Session of the Lutheran-Orthodox Joint Commission was held in Paphos, Cyprus; [[Metropolis of Singapore]] (Ecumenical Patriarchate) founded; [http://www.ec-patr.org/docdisplay.php?lang=en&id=995&tla=en Pan-Orthodox meeting in Constantinople] in October of the Primates of the fourteen Orthodox Churches, signing a document calling for inter-orthodox unity and collaboration and "''the continuation of preparations for the Holy and Great Council''"; Patr. [[Bartholomew I (Archontonis) of Constantinople|Bartholomew I]] authors ''[http://books.google.ca/books?id=citwDOTiWV8C&source=gbs_navlinks_s Encountering the Mystery: Understanding Orthodox Christianity Today];'' Hieromartyr Archimandrite [[Philoumenos (Hasapis) of Jacob's Well]] (+1979) is glorified by the [[Church of Jerusalem|Patriarchate of Jerusalem]]; 42 members of the Zulu, Tsvan and Sutu tribes were baptised into the Orthodox Church in South Africa, received into the church by the Metr. [[Seraphim (Iakovou) of Johannesburg|Seraphim]] of Johannesburg and Pretoria.

*2009 Metr. Valentin of Orenburg and Buzuluk consecrated the first-ever Russian Orthodox temple in Rome on [[May 24]], the day of St. [[Cyril and Methodius]], being the ''Church of the Great Martyr St. Catherine'', with the blessing of Patr. Kirill; the 4th Pan-Orthodox pre-conciliar consultation was held in Chambésy on June 6-13, mandating "Episcopal Assemblies" for various regions of the world, including North America;<ref>Three Pan-Orthodox pre-conciliar consultations (Chambésy 1976, 1982, 1986) and five inter-Orthodox preparatory commissions (Geneva, 1971, Chambésy 1986, 1990, 1993 and 1999) were held in the past.</ref> On April 30 the House of Assembly of the Parliament of South Australia passed a motion recognising "the genocide by the Ottoman state between 1915-1923 of Armenians, Hellenes, Syrian and other minorities in Asia Minor";<ref>[http://hansard.parliament.sa.gov.au/pages/loaddoc.aspx?eD=2009_04_30&c=7&e=1 GENOCIDE OF THE ARMENIANS, PONTIAN GREEKS, SYRIAN ORTHODOX, ASSYRIAN ORTHODOX AND OTHER CHRISTIAN MINORITIES].</ref> Metr. [[Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington|Jonah (Paffhausen)]] addresses inaugural assembly of [[w:Anglican Church in North America|Anglican Church in North America]] (ACNA); agreement was announced between [[St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (Crestwood, New York)|St. Vladimir's Seminary]] and [[w:Nashotah House|Nashotah House]]; the [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125604916994796545.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsThird Vatican announced a newly created "Apostolic Constitution"], calling for the creation of new church structures, called [[w:Personal ordinariate|Personal Ordinariates]], to operate under local Roman Catholic dioceses and be administered by former Anglican clergy, clearing the way for entire congregations of Anglican faithful to join the [[Roman Catholic Church]], while preserving elements of the distinctive Anglican spiritual and liturgical patrimony;” Orthodox-Roman Catholic Joint Commission meets in Paphos, Cyprus, 11th plenary, studying the theme ''"The Role of the Bishop of Rome in the Communion of the Church in the First Millennium;"'' pilgrimmage to [[Mount Athos]] of the former Prime Minister of Ukraine [[w:Viktor Yanukovych|Viktor Yanukovych]], current leader of the opposition in parliament; Bulgaria’s Parliament approved changes to the Family Code opening the way for fast-track divorces.

*2009 Metr. Valentin of Orenburg and Buzuluk consecrated the first-ever Russian Orthodox temple in Rome on [[May 24]], the day of St. [[Cyril and Methodius]], being the ''Church of the Great Martyr St. Catherine'', with the blessing of Patr. Kirill; the 4th Pan-Orthodox pre-conciliar consultation was held in Chambésy on June 6-13, mandating "Episcopal Assemblies" for various regions of the world, including North America;<ref>Three Pan-Orthodox pre-conciliar consultations (Chambésy 1976, 1982, 1986) and five inter-Orthodox preparatory commissions (Geneva, 1971, Chambésy 1986, 1990, 1993 and 1999) were held in the past.</ref> On April 30 the House of Assembly of the Parliament of South Australia passed a motion recognising "the genocide by the Ottoman state between 1915-1923 of Armenians, Hellenes, Syrian and other minorities in Asia Minor";<ref>[http://hansard.parliament.sa.gov.au/pages/loaddoc.aspx?eD=2009_04_30&c=7&e=1 GENOCIDE OF THE ARMENIANS, PONTIAN GREEKS, SYRIAN ORTHODOX, ASSYRIAN ORTHODOX AND OTHER CHRISTIAN MINORITIES].</ref> Metr. [[Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington|Jonah (Paffhausen)]] addresses inaugural assembly of [[w:Anglican Church in North America|Anglican Church in North America]] (ACNA); agreement was announced between [[St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (Crestwood, New York)|St. Vladimir's Seminary]] and [[w:Nashotah House|Nashotah House]]; the [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125604916994796545.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsThird Vatican announced a newly created "Apostolic Constitution"], calling for the creation of new church structures, called [[w:Personal ordinariate|Personal Ordinariates]], to operate under local Roman Catholic dioceses and be administered by former Anglican clergy, clearing the way for entire congregations of Anglican faithful to join the [[Roman Catholic Church]], while preserving elements of the distinctive Anglican spiritual and liturgical patrimony;” Orthodox-Roman Catholic Joint Commission meets in Paphos, Cyprus, 11th plenary, studying the theme ''"The Role of the Bishop of Rome in the Communion of the Church in the First Millennium;"'' pilgrimmage to [[Mount Athos]] of the former Prime Minister of Ukraine [[w:Viktor Yanukovych|Viktor Yanukovych]], current leader of the opposition in parliament; Bulgaria’s Parliament approved changes to the Family Code opening the way for fast-track divorces.

−

*2010 Resolutions in the United States and Sweden were passed narrowly, recognising the mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks as "genocide", Turkey reacting angrily in both cases; official visit of Ecumenical Patriarch [[Bartholomew I (Archontonis) of Constantinople]] to the [[Church of Russia]].

+

*2010 Resolutions in the United States and Sweden were passed narrowly, recognising the mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks as "genocide", Turkey reacting angrily in both cases; official visit of Ecumenical Patriarch [[Bartholomew I (Archontonis) of Constantinople]] to the [[Church of Russia]]; formation of [[Episcopal Assembly of North and Central America]]; inaugural meeting of the [[Episcopal Assembly of the British Isles]] is held on June 21st at Thyateira House.

The History of the Church is a vital part of the Orthodox Christian faith. Orthodox Christians are defined significantly by their continuity with all those who have gone before, those who first received and preached the truth of Jesus Christ to the world, those who helped to formulate the expression and worship of our faith, and those who continue to move forward in the unchanging yet ever-dynamic Holy Tradition of the Orthodox Church.

Contents

Post-Communist era (1991-Present)

1991 Soviet Union collapses, ending Cold War; representatives of Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches meet in Chambesy, Switzerland, discussing relations with World Council of Churches; Ruthenian Byzantine rite Catholic Church in Transcarpathia was restored as a separate entity from Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church based in Galicia, having about 23% of Transcarpathia's parishes compared to 60% of the Orthodox total there; Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Italy and Exarchate of Southern Europe is created.

1999 Numerous Serbian Orthodox sites in Kosovo and Metohia destroyed and desecrated during NATO peacekeeping presence; Lutheran World Federation and Roman Catholic Church sign Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification, one of the most significant agreements since the Reformation, also adopted unanimously later in 2006 by members of the World Methodist Council.

2000 Orthodox-Roman Catholic Joint Theological Commission meets in Baltimore, discusses text on "The Ecclesiological and Canonical Implications of Uniatism," but is suspended; Lutheran-Orthodox Joint Commission issues statement "Word and Sacraments (Mysteria) in the Life of the Church"; Russian Orthodox Church announces the canonization of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and his immediate family; government of Greece orders removal of religious affiliation from state identity cards; the restored Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow was consecrated on August 19; Church of Russia glorified Hieromartyr Andronik, Archbishop of Perm, one of Russia's New Martyrs and Confessors.

2005 Major controversy in Ukraine involving the almost exclusively western Ukraine-based Uniate Greek Catholic Church moving its administrative centre on from Lviv to Kiev, constructing a large cathedral there, and its plans to establish a patriarchate, criticized by the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and other Orthodox.

2009 Metr. Valentin of Orenburg and Buzuluk consecrated the first-ever Russian Orthodox temple in Rome on May 24, the day of St. Cyril and Methodius, being the Church of the Great Martyr St. Catherine, with the blessing of Patr. Kirill; the 4th Pan-Orthodox pre-conciliar consultation was held in Chambésy on June 6-13, mandating "Episcopal Assemblies" for various regions of the world, including North America;[1] On April 30 the House of Assembly of the Parliament of South Australia passed a motion recognising "the genocide by the Ottoman state between 1915-1923 of Armenians, Hellenes, Syrian and other minorities in Asia Minor";[2] Metr. Jonah (Paffhausen) addresses inaugural assembly of Anglican Church in North America (ACNA); agreement was announced between St. Vladimir's Seminary and Nashotah House; the Vatican announced a newly created "Apostolic Constitution", calling for the creation of new church structures, called Personal Ordinariates, to operate under local Roman Catholic dioceses and be administered by former Anglican clergy, clearing the way for entire congregations of Anglican faithful to join the Roman Catholic Church, while preserving elements of the distinctive Anglican spiritual and liturgical patrimony;” Orthodox-Roman Catholic Joint Commission meets in Paphos, Cyprus, 11th plenary, studying the theme "The Role of the Bishop of Rome in the Communion of the Church in the First Millennium;" pilgrimmage to Mount Athos of the former Prime Minister of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych, current leader of the opposition in parliament; Bulgaria’s Parliament approved changes to the Family Code opening the way for fast-track divorces.

Notes

Some of these dates are necessarily a bit vague, as records for some periods are particularly difficult to piece together accurately.

The division of Church History into separate eras as done here will always be to some extent arbitrary, though it was attempted to group periods according to major watershed events.

This timeline is necessarily biased toward the history of the Orthodox Church, though a number of non-Orthodox or purely political events are mentioned for their importance in history related to Orthodoxy or for reference.